MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
FIRST OFF A SIMPLE QUESTION.
WHEN ARE ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI GOING TO
HAVE THEIR WATER BACK?
>> WE KNOW THAT WE ARE TOWARDS
THE TAIL END OF OUR JOURNEY.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY HAVE
SEEN WATER RESTORATION, BUT AS
THE PRESSURE IS LOST IN THE
SYSTEM OUR CHALLENGE IS HOW WE
GET IT FROM THE POINT OF
INCEPTION WHERE IT FIRST COMES
INTO THE WATER STREAM FACILITY
AND PUSH IT ALL OF THE WAY FROM
THAT FACILITY TO REFILL THE
TANKS AT THE FURTHER TANK IT HAS
TO TRAVEL.
SO WE KNOW THAT RESIDENTS ARE
STARTING TO GET IT CLOSER TO
THAT FURTHER POINT.
SO IT IS A SYSTEM THAT DOESN’T
INDICATE TO US WHEN ALL OF THE
TANKS WILL BE FILLED.
HOW IT JOURNEYS THROUGH ALL OF
THE PIPES.
WHEN MAINS WILL BREAK IN THE
PROCESS OF TRYING TO RESTORE
THAT WATER.
WE UNDERSTAND OUR RESIDENTS
FRUSTRATION AND WE CONTINUE TO
WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO RESTORE
EVERYONE’S WATER SERVICE.
>> THE FRUSTRATION AT 14 DAYS
WITHOUT WATER.
AND YOU CAN’T GIVE THEM A CLEAR
TIME LINE FOR WHEN IT WILL BE
FIXED.
I MEAN WHY IN THE WORLD NOT?
IT’S 2021.
>> YEAH, WELL, UNFORTUNATELY THE
WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES THAT
THE CITY OF JACKSON HAS, THAT
MANY LEGACY CITIES HAVE, WERE
NOT BUILT IN 2021.
THEY WERE NOT BUILT FOR
WEATHERIZED CAPACITY.
NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE ANYONED
STRUCTURE,
INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WE HAVE MORE
EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS AND
MORE RAINY SEASONS THAT ALL TAKE
A TOLL.
THE CITY OF JACKSON WAS NOT
BUILT, OR IT’S WATER TREATMENT
FACILITIES WERE NOT BUILT TO
WITHSTAND WEATHER IN THE TEENS.
ESPECIALLY FOR THE PROLONGED
HERE OF TIME THAT THAT WAS SUSTAINED.
IT LEAD TO VALVES FREEZING, AND
WATER WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE
AND CONSEQUENTLY LED TO THE
STRUGGLES THAT OUR RESIDENTS
HAVE BEEN FACING IN THE LAST
FEW --
>> YOU CALLED THIS AN ACT OF GOD
AND YEAH, IT GOT VERY COLD THE
OTHER WEEK, BUT THERE WAS ALSO A
COLD SNAP IN 2018 THAT CAUSED A
SIMILAR ISSUE IN JACKSONVILLE,
MISSISSIPPI.
WHAT DID YOU DO TO PREVENT
THINGS LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING.
YOU WERE MAYOR BACK THEN WHAT
DID YOU DO TO PREVENT THINGS LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?
LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?
>> IT IS HUNDREDS OF MACHINES OF
DOLLARS.
THE CITY OF JACKSON DOES NOT HAVE ANY IN THE CONFERENCE.
HAVE ANY IN THE CONFERENCE.
WE HAVE REINVESTED IN A NEW
SHELTER. UNFORTUNATELY THE WEATHER DIDN’T
UNFORTUNATELY THE WEATHER DIDN’T
CONSULT WITH US BEFORE THAT WAS
ABLE TO BE BUILT.
THIS IS YEARS AND DECADES OF
NEGLECT THAT WE NEED STATE AND
FEDERAL SUPPORT TO DEAL WITH AS
WE HAVE SEEN SO MANY OF MY
COLLEAGUES AND SO MANY OF OUR
NEBRASKAS
NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN FACING
SIMILAR ISSUES BECAUSE OF AGES
INFRASTRUCTURE NOT MEANT TO
ACCOMMODATE THE INEDCREASED SEVE
WEATHER WE SEE NOW.
>> SO YOU’RE SAYING YOU NEED
STATE AND FEDERAL HELP.
YOU ALSO SAID THAT WHENEVER THE
GOVERNOR OF MISSISSIPPI HAS NOT
HAD A MISSED CALL FROM YOU, SO
WHEN YOU CALLED THE GOVERNOR AND
PRESUMABLY YOU BROUGHT THIS UP
THAT YOU NEED THIS MONEY, WHAT
HAS HE TOLD YOU?
>> HE RECENTLY ALLOCATED SOME
TANKS THAT WE COULD USE FOR
NONPOTNON
NON-POTABLE WATER.
WE HAVE TO USE EVERY RESOURCE
THAT WE HAVE.
>> WHAT ABOUT STRENGTHENING THE
INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT ABOUT
MAKING SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN
AGAIN?
>> THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN
INDICATING FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WE WERE ALLOCATED FUNDS THROUGH A WATER BILL THAT THE NO NEW
A WATER BILL THAT THE NO NEW
STARTS BANS, BUT THE RESOURCES
THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OUT TO COME
TO THE CITY OF JACKSON THEN
THERE IS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
TO SUPPORT IN A MUCH STRONGER
WAY.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
WE ARE IN A REACTIVE MODE,
TRYING TO FIX THE BIKE WHILE
WE’RE RIDING IT.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ANOTHER
QUESTION.
IT HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE
UNDERSTANDABLY UPSET.
80% OF THE RESIDENTS OF JACKSON
ARE PLAQUE.
LOCAL OUTLETS REPORT THAT THE
ONLY PART OF YOUR CITY THAT HAD
NO ISSUES WAS NORTHEAST JACKSON
THAT IS PREDOMINANTLY WHITE. WHAT IS THAT?
WHAT IS THAT?
>> FIRST, THAT IS INACCURATE.
WATER SERVICE WAS HURT ACROSS
THE CITY.
SOME AREAS HAD WATER RESTORED
SOONER AND THAT IS BECAUSE
THEY’RE CLOSER TO THE WATER
TREATMENT FACILITY.
I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE EQUITY
QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED IN TERMS OF HOW
PEOPLE’S SERVICES ARE PROVIDED
AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS
USED TO SUPPORT OUR CITY, BUT
THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT REALLY
GO BACK INTO PLANNING AND
DEVELOPING OF THE CITY MANY,
MANY YEARS AGO.
PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN CITIES
WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE HARDER
TO GET TO.
THOSE ARE REAL QUESTIONS TO
CONFRONT, BUT IN TERMS OF
WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE IS AT A
WATER TREATMENT FACILITY
CHOOSING TO TURN ON WATER IN ONE
LOCATION OR THE NEXT, THAT’S NOT
THE WAY IT WORKS.
THE SYSTEM PUSHES WATER THROUGH
PIPES, FILLS TANKS BASED ON THE
WAY THEY WERE LAID OUT SOME 60
YEARS AGO.
THAT IS WHAT IS DECIDING IT.
>> SOUNDS LIKE THE SYSTEM IS IN